Method of treating oil wells and apparatus therefor



R. CONRADER Original Filed March 28, 1921.

METHOD OF' TREATING OIL WELLS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Pptented Dec.

UNITE-D ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH 'GONE-AIDER, 0F

f armen or 'mamme om wma animamos animaron.

I l 'Application lle'd To all fwwmit 'may concern.' v v Be it known that I, .RUDOLPH Germanen,

" a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the .county of Erie and .State of Pennsylvannia,

ful Improvements ing Oil Wells and which the'following is a Oil as it exists in the l0 under pressure, this preure being what is commonly termed the rock pressure.l As

this preure is released through the opening of the Awell the more volatile constituents of the oil pass of as gas, thus leaving the residue incapable of'retaining any solution X paraiiin, theresult accumulates Ion the well surfaces at the umlal cavity leading from the bearing sands and this accumulation graduallyv retards 5the ilow of oil and reduces the oil production.

Different attempts have been made to re- -move these obstructions as by steaming the Well and by heating the lWell various ways but in such attempts the well has been left Vopen and the heating has vaporized the' more volatile constituents `of theoil precipitating s ome of the heavier portions and in the Method of Treat- ApparatusTherefor, of

specilication.

rock is ordinarily in many instances aggravating the diliiculty which the operation is designed to correct. `With the present methed the well is heated butv is retained under' pressure so as to retain `the more volatile constituents of the oil d in liquid form even Yat the higher tempera- 36 ture and the heating is preferably accomplished by a fluid which in itself is a solvent of the heavier constituents of the oil, a convenient fluid for this purpose 'being kerosene.

An apparatus forming the subject matter .of tli'e invention and suitable for carrying out the method is illustratedin the accomnying drawings. 1 marks the well,2 the oil Abearing sand,

the usualcavity being formed in the sand, 3 the casing, i' the caslng head, 5 the tubing, 6 the pump, 7 the sucker rod, 8 a gland, or stuffing box through which the sucker rod Works, 9 a walking beam for operating the sucker rod,and 10 a discharge pipe leading have invented new and useof heavier constituents of the oil, such as being that the paraiiinv concerned 1 prevent the Well.

through .gas by ma as, 1921, serial ne. 450,410.. nenewea lime a1, 1924.

from the tubing. These parts are of ordinary construction.

A pressure valve 11 is applied to the outlet 10. A The disc 12 o f the valve 11 is loaded by a spring 13, the tension on the spring being adjusted by a mit 14. Any; back ressure desired may be exerted on t e Well y adgu'sting the spring to prevent the opengo p the disc prior to such pressure.

he gas outlet from Ithe casing is through a ipe 15' which is provided with a pressure v ve 16,!the pressure valve 16 having a disc 17, loaded by a spring 18, -the pressure of the spring being adjusted by the nut 19. Here 'again any back pressure may be given to the gas desired by adjusting the spring. The more pressure valves sofar as my invention-is resides in the valve 16 although thepressure valve 11 should be adjusted to separation of the `more volatile constituents of the oil as it is lifted through the tubing so that the Iparaiii'n may -be carried in solution and delivered from the A steaming nozzle, or ring 20 is arranged around the tubing 5 nozzle slotl 21 directed against the outer surface of the nozzle 20 through a stuffing box .or

gland 23 in the casing head cap. The pipe important of these blacky and has the annular the well. A pipe 22 leads from terminates in a T A, ring 25 is formed Y 1n. the plug closingthe upper end of the T` and provides a means bywhich the nozzle may be raised and lowered in -the well to cover thediiferent surfaces to be treated. A pipe 26 leads from the T to. a flexible tubing 27. The flexible tubing is connected withga pipe 28 leading by a 'lateral pipe 29 to a boiler 30. 'The boiler is of the vertical type having-the usual iiues 31 leading from a furnace 32, the usual source of heat being means of a burner 33 The lues lead to the usual box 34 and a pipe 35 leads from this box. The boiler has the insulating jacket 36.. A valve 37 controls the lateral pipe 29 and the pipe 28 has an extension 38 with a lateral pipe 39 leading to the bottom of the boiler, this being controlled by a valve 40.

of the pump,

In carrying out the method kerosene is furnished in the boiler and 'heated to a vaporizing temperature. The vapor from the kerosene is conducted through the pipes described to the nozzle 20 and delivered a ainst the walls of the well, tlnls melting the hea constituents of the oil which seal the oil sands. Thev hot vapor as it liquees in cooling actsas a solvent'for these heavier constituents. The well is preferably pumped so as to expose the oil sand but the oil in the well may be heated through the nozzle ifdesired the nozzle agitating the oil so as to assist in taking up the heavier constituents as paraffin. As' the material in the well is ymelted or dissolved it is carried outby way pressure being retained to prevent the precipitationfof the heavier constituents at the pressure used. Preferably the pipe pressure on the well is just below the rock pressure so that there will be awcontinued inflow to the well. On the other hand the temperature is placedjust below the vaporizing temperature of some of the lighter constituents of the 'oil which it is feasible to maintain in liquid state.l It will be understood that these different` constituents vaporize at quite-definite temperatures.v While it may be impossible to retain the most volatile constituent a temperature may be maintained which will retain the most available light constituent under the conditions of temperature androck pressure.

While steam may be used as the heating iuid I prefer kerosene because while kerosene has a vaporizing point at atmospheric pressure slightly below water this Vaporizmg point rises more rapidly than water as the pressure goes up so that with thev pressures .which are within the rock 'pressure .vapor at considerably higher temperature than may be obtained with water at such pressure becomes available. Further the -v vapor from the oil is effective on the heavier constituents in the well and after it liquefies acts asasolvent, thus facilitating the removal. g

After the vapor has been delivered 'for a period as may be desired, the valve 40 being closed and the valve 37 opened for this purpose,`it may be'desirable to discharge the -liquid from the boiler directly to the well and this maybe accomlplished by openingthe valve40 and closing t e valve 29. Under these' conditions the vapor pressure of the boiler will discharge the liquid to the well. The annular nozzle slot 21 assures the coveringof every part of the wall of the cavity 'as the nozzle is raised and lowered without turning the nozzle.

What I claim as new is 1. The method of treating oil wells which consists in maintaining the well under pressure but below the rock pressure; and heatl ing the well cavity.

, troduction of a 2.. The method of treating oil wells which i perature which at the pressure will retain some but not allof the lighter constituents of the oil in a liquid state.

4. The method of treating oil wells which consists in maintaining the well at approxi.- mately but below the rock pressure; and heating the well cavity to a temperature at which the Apressure lighter constituents of the oi'l in the liquid. 5. The method of treating oil wells which consists in maintaining the well under pressure; and heating the well cavity by theinhot Huid, .said iuid being a solvent of the heavier constituents of the oil.`

6. The `method of treating oil wells which consists'in maintaining the well under pressure; and heating the well cavity .by theintroduction of a vapor from kerosene.

7 The method of treating oil wells which will Fretain some of the f consists in maintaining the well under pres-A sure;'heating the well cavity; and pumping the liquid from the well while maintaining a back pressure on the liquid being pumped.

8. In' an apparatus ,for treating oil wells, the combination of means for heating the well cavity; a casing and a pressure valve on the casing retaining gas pressure on the well proportionate to the heat.

" 9. In an apparatus for treating oil'wells, the combination of means for heating the v well cavity; a pressure valve retaining gas pressure on the well; a pump; and a pressure valve retaining aback spring actuated pressure on the liquid being pumped.

110. lIn an apparatus for treating oil wells, the combination of a nozzle; means for introducing a hot fluid lthrough the nozzle; means for varying the level of the nozzle; and means ,for retaining the well under pressure.

11.'In an apparatus for .treating oil w'ells;

`the boiler to said means; and valves con,-

trolling said connections.

13. The method of treating oil wells which consists in heating the well cavity by the introduction of a vapor from kerosene.

a boiler; a "connection i 14. The method of"treatingu oil wells 16. In an apparatus for treating oil Wells, l0 which consists in heating the well cavity by the combination of an annular nozzle havthe introduction of vapor from kerosene folinga continuous annular nozzle slot; means lowed'by the introduction of hot liquid kerofor delivering heated fluid to the nozzle;

5 sene. and means for varying the elevation of the 15. In an apparatus ,for treating oil Wells, nozzle. 15 the combination of anannular nozzle having In testimony whereof have hereunto set a continuous annular nozzle slot; and means my hand. for delivering heated Huid to the nozzle. f RUDOLPH COQNRADER. 

